The Guardian of Hope
by ShiTiger
Summary: E. Aster Bunnymund is the last of the guardians to be chosen by MiM, much to North's surprise. What could this rabbit-like creature offer the children of the world, when they already had Guardians of Wonder, Memories, and Dreams? A glimpse into how North and Bunny could have first met, based on both the books and the movie.


_(AU movie-verse, but drawing on Bunnymund's backstory from the book series)_

* * *

North rounded the corner at top speed, catching sight of the blue crystal rising from the floor. There was not even time to call the Tooth and Sandy to the pole, as the moonlight was already filling the crystal with a brilliant light. The resulting shimmer of blue and white slowly revealed a strange, long-eared creature.

"Manny... is this our newest Guardian? Why did you not wait until others were summoned?" North wondered aloud, though he wasn't expecting an audible reply. It was rather unusual for the man in the moon to be in such a rush.

The crystal shone brighter, giving the shape a furrier appearance. The former bandit rubbed his chin as he studied the rabbit-like creature curiously. What would their newest member be Guardian of? They already had Wonder, Memories, and Dreams. What could the strange bunny possibly have to offer the children of the world?

A shout from Phil drew his eyes back up to the windows on the high ceiling. As it was only a few weeks after Christmas, the mid-morning sky should have been completely dark, save for the moon and stars. Instead, there was a strange object hurtling down from the heavens at an alarming speed. Blue eyes widened as the sound of the falling object caused the entire workshop to shutter, before it visibly veered off, as if to avoid hitting the building.

A group of heavy-footed yeti raced toward the side-doors, stumbling as the floor shook violently. The object must have landed somewhere close. North paused, but only to summon his fellow Guardians, before rushing off in the direction that Phil and the others had gone. Perhaps it was the new Guardian, which would explain why Manny had been in such a rush to give him the news.

* * *

Tooth and Sandy had not yet arrived when North, riding in his sleigh, finally caught sight of the large, egg-shaped craft that was half buried in the snow. The yeti were gathered around it, staring up at the spaceship that towered over them.

The Guardian of Wonder took a moment to study the ship curiously, noting the many colored, egg-shaped lights that formed egg-shaped patterns on the egg-like ship. Yes, clearly whatever was inside the ship had a fascination with eggs. An Egg Guardian, perhaps? How very strange.

Large hands reached out to trace the cooling metal, searching for an entrance. The lights began to glow brighter the instant he touched the ship, and a few moments later, the outline of an egg-shaped hatch popped out from the side of the ship. Luckily, it was close enough to the ground to open without having to ask one of the yeti to boost him up. Wrapping his fingers around the lower edge, the Russian lifted the door straight up.

Glancing around, North ordered the yeti to wait outside while he squeezed himself through the entrance-way. At least the ceiling was high inside the ship, even if the walkway was rather narrow. The Guardian of Wonder passed several rooms that, when opened, revealed a rather strange collection of chocolates, paint supplies, and delicately-packed eggs and flowers. It was only when he reached the deepest part of the ship, which he suspected was buried beneath the snow as the temperature was getting colder with each step he took, that he finally caught a glimpse of the strange creature who was to be the newest Guardian.

The grey-furred rabbit, clothed in a long green robe, lay unconscious across the controls of the small engine room. North was quick to pull the strange creature into his arms, receiving a groan of discomfort for his efforts. Furred eyelids pulled back, revealing the most fascinating shade of emerald eyes the Russian had ever seen.

"Is it always so bloomin' cold on this planet? If so, I can see why the Man in the Moon asked for my assistance," the rabbit grumbled, in a much deeper voice than North was expecting.

"Who are..?" The larger man was cut off when the creature in his arms sneezed, their entire body attempting to curl up to escape the cold. Feeling a surge of protectiveness toward the newest guardian, North was quick to lift the furred creature into his arms, bridal style.

"Hey now! I am perfectly capable of walking, mate," the rabbit announced, frowning up at him through egg-shaped spectacles.

"You are at North Pole, my new friend. Is very cold here, and you may have injuries from crash. Allow me to take you to my home. Man in Moon told me you were coming," North insisted, ignoring the creature's protests as he trudged back down the hall toward the exit.

"Fine," the rabbit grumbled, crossing their arms over their chest to ward off the cold. By the time the former bandit stepped out of the shuttle, he realized that the newest guardian was curled even closer to his chest, their entire form shivering from the below freezing temperatures.

"I will get them back to the workshop. You and other yeti must find way to bring craft back, as well. We must not leave it to be buried in snow and ice," the Guardian of Wonder ordered, making his way to the sleigh parked nearby. Placing his new companion on the seat, he grabbed a blanket from the back of the sleigh to wrap around their furred form. Green eyes cracked open to watch him settle in the driver's seat, before the rabbit hunkered down in alarm as the sleigh took to the skies.

* * *

"Thanks, mate," the rabbit commented, taking the steaming hot cup of cocoa from the man's hands.

North sat down in the chair across from his new guest, watching them sniff curiously at the drink. "Is something wrong?"

"This is... Earthen chocolate. I am uncertain about consuming it, as most chocolate has a strange effect on Pookans," the creature announced, not unkindly.

"I see. I can make you something else, if you would like. But, before that, I would like to introduce myself. I am Nicholas St. North, and you are currently at my workshop at the North Pole," the Russian declared, smiling pleasantly at his guest.

"E. Aster Bunnymund. Last of the Pookan brotherhood. My homeworld was destroyed during the darkest days of the Golden Age. I have been traveling the universe in my craft, ever since," the rabbit informed him, taking the tiniest sip of hot chocolate.

"I am… not familiar with this Golden Age," North admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. He was born human, after all, and had only been a guardian for a century, at the most.

"I am older than the Man in the Moon," Aster stated, taking little notice of the bearded man's shock.

"Ah, I see. Forgive my assumption, but… you are male, yes?" the Guardian of Wonder commented, eyeing his guest.

Green eyes widened back at him, before a smile crossed over the rabbit's features. "Yes. It should be obvious, but I suppose you Earthians are a strange-looking bunch, yourselves. I presume that you, Nicholas St. North, are a _man_ ," the new guardian purred, clearly teasing.

"Yes, I am a man!" North boomed, delighted that he had not caused offense from his question. "The other guardians will be here to meet you, very soon. We are very happy to have you."

* * *

 _Note: I'm going to leave this as a one-shot, for now. I wrote it years ago, forgot about it, and decided to finally finish it up. It was originally planned as the start of an eggnog relationship, but it can be seen as friendship, too. I may revisit it later, if the plotbunnies start nibbling again._


End file.
